Where the Axe is Buried

In a world where systems are destined to collapse and societies inevitably deteriorate, the Federation faces a dire conflict. An authoritarian regime is at the heart of a conspiracy to eliminate the President, a leader who has perpetuated his rule by transferring his consciousness into new bodies. In parallel, Western Europe has swapped human leadership for supposedly infallible AI Prime Ministers, yet an experimental artificial intelligence begins to malfunction, risking a catastrophic sequence of events for the Western world. As both the Federation and Western Europe face disintegration, a genius scientist named Lilia, whose groundbreaking creation could end the President's reign of recycled immortality, finds herself on the run. Evading the pervasive Federation surveillance, she becomes entwined with a global network striving to challenge and overthrow the oppressive norms governing the world. This band of individuals must overcome extreme obstacles to reclaim humanity's future. Renowned author Ray Nayler, a finalist for the Nebula Award, Ray Bradbury Prize, and Arthur C. Clarke Award, and a recipient of the Locus Award, delivers a captivating tale of technological intrigue.